SRINAGAR: A 39-year-old Italian trekker who had been reported missing was discovered deceased, while a separate operation carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully rescued an injured mountaineer in Ladakh, officials confirmed on Monday.
The remains of Davide Macella were located after a collaborative effort involving the police, the Union Territory Disaster Response Force (UTDRF), and the Army’s “Forever in Operation” division.
The recovery took place at Charchar La Pass along the Leh-Zangla trail, according to Senior Superintendent of Police, Kargil, Anayat Ali Chowdhary.
Macella’s disappearance in the hazardous terrain occurred during a hiking excursion from Leh to Zangla in Himachal Pradesh. His last sighting was recorded in Hankar on July 23. The cooperative rescue team, launched from Kargil, successfully retrieved the foreigner’s body with the assistance of local guides. The remains were subsequently handed over to the designated guardian following the completion of legal procedures.
Recently, a team comprising five UTDRF personnel engaged in locating the missing foreigner required an airborne rescue conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from the Markha valley. The IAF executed an operation using a single-engine helicopter, venturing into unfamiliar and narrow valleys without suitable landing spots to rescue the stranded UTDRF personnel.
In a separate rescue mission, the IAF successfully evacuated an injured mountaineer from the base camp of Mt Nun, standing at an elevation of 7,135 meters in the Zanskar valley of Ladakh.
A tweet from the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Army in Leh stated, “114 HU (helicopter unit) #Leh of Indian Air Force successfully evacuated an injured mountaineer from Mt Nun base camp in a daring rescue op (operation).” Accompanying the tweet were videos and images showcasing the operation.
According to officials, the IAF initiated the rescue operation in response to a request from Kargil Deputy Commissioner Shrikant Balasaheb Suse, who had received information about an Indian mountaineer sustaining head injuries. After the IAF’s successful rescue, the injured mountaineer was transported to a medical facility for necessary treatment.
